Chrysanthemum plant named Dark Eyes

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant. The new plant is characterized by its flat capitulum form, anemone capitulum type, lavender ray floret color, darker contrasting disc floret color, a diameter across face of capitulum of 3.5-6.0 cm, spreading to upright branching pattern with 4-7 breaks after a single pinch, a flowering response of 56 to 60 days from the start of short days, and a plant height for 6.5 in. (16.5 cm) pot of about 40 cm with 1-2 applications of B-9 at 2500 ppm.

BACKGROUND

1. The Field of the Invention

This invention relates to Chrysanthemum plants. More particularly, thepresent invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemumplant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name "Dark eyes."

2. Background of the New Plant

Dark Eyes, identified as 86.2469, was originated from a cross made byJack Van Der Knaap in a controlled breeding program at De Lier, Hollandin 1985.

The female parent of Dark Eyes was an unnamed seedling, and the maleparent was Wall Street (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,869).

Dark Eyes was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross by Jack Van Der Knaap in 1986 in acontrolled environment at De Lier, Holland.

The first asexual reproduction of Dark Eyes was accomplished whenvegetative cuttings were taken in 1986 in a controlled environment at DeLier, Holland by technicians working under the direction and supervisionof Jack Van Der Knaap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The basic characteristics which have been repeatedly observed in DarkEyes and which, in combination, distinguish this Chrysanthemum plantover related known varieties and its antecedents are:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Anemone capitulum type.

3. Lavender ray floret color.

4. Darker contrasting disc floret color.

5. Diameter across face of capitulum 3.5-6.0 cm.

6. Branching pattern is spreading to upright with 4-7 breaks after asingle pinch.

7. Flowering response is 56 to 60 days from the start of short days.

8. Plant height of 6.5 in. (16.5 cm) pot is about 40 cm with 1-2applications of B-9 at 2500 ppm.

Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successiveplantings has shown that the combination of characteristics anddistinctions as herein disclosed for Dark Eyes are firmly fixed and areretained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a photographic print in full color showing typicalinflorescence and leaf characteristics of Dark Eyes grown as a pinchedspray pot mum with 5 cuttings in a 6.5 inch (16.5 cm) pot, the colorsbeing depicted as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make thesame in a color photograph of this character.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

Dark Eyes has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

The following is a detailed description of Dark Eyes, with colorterminology in accordance with The Royal Horticulture Society ColourChart, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are obvious. The following observations, measurements andcomparisons were made of plants grown at Nipomo, Calif. in controlledenvironments. Unrooted cuttings were directly stuck into 6.5 inch (16.5cm) pots and grown in a controlled environment under the naturaltemperature and day length prevailing during October to December of1990.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv. Dark Eyes.

Commercial.--Flat anemone to be grown as a spray pot or cut spray mum.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Anemone.

Diameter across face: 35-60 mm when fully opened.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Lavender withdark purple eye.

Color.--Front: 75 C. Back 75 C with a 77 B stripe down the center.

Shape.--Oblong with a rounded tip.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color.--Medium lavender 75 C. Graduating to a very dark eye of 77 A.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; insignificant.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets; insignificant.

PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--When grown in 6.5 in. (16.5 cm) pots with 1-2 applications ofB-9, the total plant height including the pot will be approximately 40cm. When grown as a cut mum, the plant will be 1-1.5 meters high.

Branching pattern.--Spreading with 4-7 breaks after the pinch. As a cutflower the plant is normally grown unpinched, single stem with the topbud removed to form an open spray type form.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface): 147 A.

Color (lower surface): 147 B.

Shape.--see FIG. 1.

Dark Eyes can be well distinguished from other commercial Chrysanthemumcultivars, including Autumn Eyes (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.712,334 filed Jun. 7, 1991), Definite Eyes (U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 712,086 filed Jun. 7, 1991), Quiet Eyes (U.S. Plantpatent application Ser. No. 712,052 filed Jun. 7, 1991), Tara (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 6,313), and Vibrant Eyes (U.S. Plant patent applicationSer. No. 712,901 filed Jun. 7, 1991). See in this regard the datapresented in Table A hereafter. Also, the blossom coloration of DarkEyes can be readily distinguished from Rave (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,738),and Remember (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,973) as described and illustrated inthe respective U.S. Plant Patents.

Similar traits to the other above-mentioned Eye varieties are capitulumform and type (with the exception of Quiet Eyes which is a flat daisytype), branching pattern, and the distinctly contrasting center of thedisc. However, each Eye variety varies in color of the disc and rayflorets, making each a unique and different cultivar.

Similar traits to Tara are capitulum form and type, and branchingpattern. Dark Eyes generally has more breaks per pinch, more discflorets, and is approximately 4 days slower than Tara. Tara tends tohave more flowers per break than Dark Eyes. The coloration of the petalsis very different between Tara and Dark Eyes.

                  TABLE A                                                         ______________________________________                                        Characteristic                                                                         Autumn Eyes Dark Eyes   Definite Eyes                                ______________________________________                                        capitulum                                                                              flat        flat        flat                                         form                                                                          capitulum                                                                              anemone     anemone     anemone                                      type                                                                          diameter ca. 3.4 cm  ca. 3.5-6.0 cm                                                                            4.0-7.0 cm                                   across face                                                                   branching                                                                              upright     spreading   upright and                                  pattern                          spreading                                    breaks/pinch                                                                           ca. 4.0     4-7         3-5                                          height in 6.5                                                                          30-40 cm    ca. 40 cm   40-52 cm                                     in. (16.5 cm)                                                                 pot with 1-2                                                                  applications                                                                  of B-9                                                                        disc floret                                                                            golden 11 A medium      56 C on the                                  color    tipped with lavender 75 C                                                                             outer petals                                          dark maroon 59                                                                            graduating to                                                                             graduating to a                                       A; eye is dark                                                                            a very dark eye                                                                           dark purple                                           maroon 59 A of 77 A; tube                                                                             eye of 59 A                                                       75 C                                                     no. disc ca. 171     ca. 145     ca. 255                                      florets                                                                       length disc                                                                            ca. 1.0 cm long                                                                           1.0-1.5 cm long                                                                           up to 2 cm long                              florets                                                                       ray floret                                                                             front: golden                                                                             front: 75 C front: 69 D                                  color    yellow 11 A back: 75 C with                                                                           back: some 70 C                                       back: pale  a 77 B stripe                                                     yellow 11 B down the center                                          no. ray  ca. 22      24-27       average of 27.3                              florets                                                                       shape ray                                                                              oblong with oblong with elliptic                                     florets  rounded to flat                                                                           rounded tip                                                       tip                                                                  length ray                                                                             1.0-1.5 cm long                                                                           up to 2.5 cm                                                                              up to 4 cm long                              florets              long                                                     width ray                                                                              0.3-0.5 cm wide                                                                           up to 0.75 cm                                                                             up to 1.0 cm                                 florets              wide        wide                                         no. flowers/                                                                           ca. 9.6     average of 5.16                                                                           average of 5.3                               break                                                                         leaf     front: 147 A                                                                              front: 147 A                                                                              front: 147 A                                 color    back: 147 B back: 147 B back: 147 B                                  leaf length                                                                            ca. 7.5 cm long                                                                           up to 8 cm long                                                                           up to 6 cm long                              leaf width                                                                             ca. 5.0 cm wide                                                                           up to 4.5 cm                                                                              up to 4 cm wide                                                   wide                                                     response time                                                                          8.5 weeks   8.5 weeks   8.5 weeks                                    ______________________________________                                        Characteristic                                                                         Quiet Eyes  Tara        Vibrant Eyes                                 ______________________________________                                        capitulum                                                                              flat        flat        flat fresh;                                  form                             puffy rounded                                                                 old                                          capitulum                                                                              daisy       anemone     anemone                                      type                                                                          diameter 8-10 cm     5.0-6.5 cm  3-4 cm                                       across face                                                                   branching                                                                              spreading   spreading   upright to                                   pattern                          spreading                                    breaks/pinch                                                                           3-4         3-5         4-5                                          height in 6.5                                                                          ca. 40 cm   ca. 37 cm   42-52 cm                                     in. (16.5 cm)                                                                 pot with 1-2                                                                  applications                                                                  of B-9                                                                        disc floret                                                                            lemon yellow                                                                              lemon yellow                                                                              from 155 D                                   color    1 A graduating                                                                            10 A        graduating                                            to a large              toward a dark                                         green eye of            purple eye of                                         143 A                   77 A                                         no. disc ca. 200     70-120      ca. 125                                      florets                                                                       length disc                                                                            1.3 cm long up to 1.5 cm                                                                              ca. 1 cm long                                florets              long                                                     ray floret                                                                             front: 75 B front: 155 A                                                                              light pink to                                color    back: 75 D  back: 155 D white;                                                                        front: 155 A                                                                  back: 155 B                                                                   bright green                                                                  ovary                                        no. ray  20-24       15-17       ca. 22                                       florets                                                                       shape ray                                                                              oblong      elliptic    oval with                                    florets                          rounded tip                                  length ray                                                                             up to 4 cm long                                                                           up to 3 cm long                                                                           up to 1.7 cm                                 florets                          long                                         width ray                                                                              up to 1.5 cm                                                                              up to 1 cm wide                                                                           up to 0.5 cm                                 florets  wide                    wide                                         no. flowers/                                                                           ca. 5.2     ca. 11.3    ca. 8.4                                      break                                                                         leaf color                                                                             front: 147 A                                                                              front: 147 A                                                                              front: 147 A                                          back: 147 B back: 147 B back: 147 B                                  leaf length                                                                            up to 10 cm up to 9 cm long                                                                           up to 5.0 cm                                          long                    long                                         leaf width                                                                             up to 5.5 cm                                                                              up to 5 cm wide                                                                           up to 3.0 cm                                          wide                    wide                                         response time                                                                          8.2 weeks   8.0 weeks   8.0 weeks                                    ______________________________________                                    

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant,substantially as herein described and illustrated.